Tuscon, AZ — Police Lieutenant Diana Lopez has been demoted to
sergeant following an internal affairs investigation after she allegedly
sent a subordinate officer sexually explicit photos and videos of
herself while wearing her police uniform. The lower-ranking officer, who was reportedly in a relationship with Lopez, supposedly passed around the pictures and videos to other cops. According to AP, Lopez — who was the the Tuscon PD’s public information officer — used her personal cell phone for the alleged sexting activity which apparently occurred while she was off duty. The Arizona Daily Star
reports that in August 2012 “anonymous letters sent to the department
and the City Attorney’s Office about Lopez prompted the probe.” The Star
said that according to police investigators, “Lopez violated several
department regulations, professional standards and a code of ethics.” Lopez is considering appealing her demotion to patrol sergeant in the
operations division administratively and/or filing a lawsuit against
the city of Tuscon. Tuscon Assistant Chief Kathleen Robinson wrote the following about the Diana Lopez matter:
“Lopez used extremely poor judgment in sending these
images undermining her credibility as a commander. Her actions have
negatively affected not only her reputation, but the reputation and
mission of the Tucson Police Department.”
According to London’s Daily Mail,
“it is believed that 13 people might have seen the footage — however no
one admitted to it. The racy clips were never uncovered but there is
‘no doubt they exist,’ authorities said.” Lopez’s cop boyfriend has not been publicly identified, but the investigation into this matter is apparently ongoing.
Female Ploice Office In Uniform And Bikini
Adrienne Koleszar Female Ploice Office In Bikini And Uniform
Officer Leah Ott
began her law enforcement career in 2005 in Arizona. She has been with
the Redmond Police Department since 2012 and enjoys working to solve
community issues. Contact Officer Ott at lmott@redmond.gov
Officer Betty Shelby
Jury Acquits Tulsa Officer Betty Shelby in Shooting Death of Terence Crutcher
Betty
Shelby leaves the courtroom with her husband, Dave Shelby, right, after
the jury in her case began deliberations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 17.Sue Ogrocki / AP
A jury on Wednesday acquitted a white Oklahoma police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Tulsa last year. Tulsa
police officer Betty Shelby, 43, had been charged with manslaughter in
the September 2016 shooting death of Terence Crutcher, 40, during an
encounter that began with the report of a stalled vehicle. The
district attorney’s office announced a verdict had been reached shortly
after 9 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET), more than eight hours after
deliberations began, NBC affiliate KJRH reported. The manslaughter
trial against Shelby opened May 10 with prosecutors laying out how the
five-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department encountered Crutcher —
what should have been a routine traffic matter that went too far, they
said. Instead, Crutcher's death — another involving an unarmed
black man at the hands of police — touched off Black Lives Matter
protests and calls for greater transparency from local authorities.
Crutcher's family called the verdict a disappointment, and called the
police department "corrupt" after being led out of the courtroom filled
with emotion. Crutcher’s twin sister, Tiffany Crutcher, said her
brother's hands were up, that he was not an imminent threat or attack
her and didn't deserve to be shot. "Terence
was not the aggressor; Betty Shelby was the aggressor," she said.
"Betty Shelby had the gun. Betty Shelby was following him with his hands
up." Shelby was among the officers who responded to reports of a
stalled SUV left abandoned in the middle of a road just after 7:30 p.m.
local time, prosecutors said. Related: Trial Starts for Oklahoma Officer in Terence Crutcher Shooting Police
said Crutcher approached the vehicle but failed to listen to commands
from officers. Shelby asked Crutcher if the car was his, but only
mumbled to himself and didn't respond, according to an affidavit. Crutcher
was seen walking to his car with his hands up before reaching into the
driver's side window. One of the officers fired his Taser at him. Shelby
also fired her gun — striking the father of four in the lung, police
said. Video footage taken from helicopter and cruiser dashcams don't provide clear views of the moment she shot him.
An attorney for Shelby later said that she believed Crutcher was
under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Shelby, a former deputy for
the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, had previously completed drug-recognition expert training. A toxicology report revealedthat
Crutcher was on two hallucinogenic drugs, including PCP, during the
encounter. It took at least two minutes after Crutcher was shot before
police attempted aid, according to officers. During
the trial, Shelby testified that police training videos taught her to
be careful about suspects pulling guns when they reach into their
vehicles, according to The Associated Press. She fired her weapon, she told a Tulsa County courthouse on Monday, because "I feared for my life."
"I did everything I could to stop this," she added. "Crutcher's death is his fault." Prosecuting
attorney Kevin Gray told the court that Crutcher was never aggressive
toward police or actually produced a gun, and that Shelby was merely
"guessing" that he had one. Her
defense attorney, Shannon McMurray, argued that it was unfair for the
prosecution to repeatedly say Crutcher was unarmed. No weapon was found
inside the SUV.
"To
somehow imply that she was supposed to see what was in this door panel
is absurd. It's deceitful and you should disregard it," McMurray told
jurors, according to the AP. Judge Doug Drummond, however, said his being unarmed was a relevant factor in the case. An
attorney for the Crutcher family, Benjamin Crump, raised the deaths of
other black men in encounters with police, like Michael Brown and
Freddie Gray, in expressing his disappointment with the verdict. "The
list just goes on and on, of unarmed African American men being killed
by white police officers, and they get away with it," Crump said. Jerad
Lindsey, chairman of Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police, said that the
jury’s verdict was the right one, but said the shooting was a tragedy.
"There’s no winners in this," he said. "There's still a family that has
dealt with a tragedy here, the Crutchers, and we still extend our
deepest sympathies to them." "And now that we’ve reached a
verdict, Tulsa’s gonna have to figure out how to get its arms around
this and be able to move forward in a positive way," Lindsey said.
Tiffany
Crutcher, center, sister of Terence Crutcher, talks with the media
following a verdict in the trial of Tulsa police officer Betty Jo Shelby
in Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday, May 17, 2017.Sue Ogrocki / APBetty
Shelby leaves the courtroom with her husband, Dave Shelby, right, after
the jury in her case began deliberations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 17.Sue Ogrocki / APBoth
Shelby's family, including her husband, who is a fellow Tulsa police
officer, and Crutcher's family have been at the courthouse since the
trial began. Shelby
was placed on paid administrative leave amid the investigation, then on
unpaid leave. Shelby did not speak to the media after Wednesday's
verdict. McMurray said Shelby is "elated and very proud of her jury." Tulsa
County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler in a statement Wednesday
night thanked jurors and said "there can be no doubt that the decision
rendered by this jury was only after a long and deliberative process."
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund in a statement called Wednesday’s verdict
disappointing, and said it is hopeful the Justice Department files
charges. The DOJ announced shortly after the shooting that it was
opening a civil rights investigation.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
In Phoenix, women rule: Largest city with female police and fire chief
“They
were by far the most qualified and respected candidates, who happened
to be women,” Mayor Greg Stanton said. “Anybody can rise to the very top
of their organization and that’s just not talk. In Phoenix, we walk the
walk.”
Nationally, 12 percent of full-time local police officers and 3.5 percent of career firefighters are female.
“Kara
and I both know the tremendous responsibility that comes with being the
first female and I’ve learned from Kara to be very gracious at
accepting that responsibility,” Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said.
It’s
not just the police and fire departments that females are leading in
Phoenix; there are 20 to 30 departments in the city with women in power.
“Phoenix
is very progressive and they feel that the leadership team of the city
should mirror the community,” Kara Kalkbrenner, Phoenix fire chief,
said. “So if you look at the diverse community that we have, we have an
extremely diverse workforce.”
Williams believes that Phoenix’s strong connection to community is what makes it different from other cities.
“Every day, we come to work to make a difference,” Kalkbrenner said.
Chief Kalkbrenner and Chief Williams met in junior high school and consider each other best friends.
“We
can pick up the phone and have a conversation,” Kalkbrenner said.
“There’s an amount of trust that you really need to have in your
counterpart.”
“Phoenix
is an amazing place to live, but even more amazing [is] where we’re
going. We haven’t seen the end of the growth and the potential that the
city has.”
911 McNuggets Call: Latreasa L. Goodman Calls 911 3 Times Over McNuggets "Emergency FORT
PIERCE, Fla. — Authorities say a Florida woman called 911 three times
after McDonald's employees told her they were out of McNuggets. A police
report said 27-year-old Fort Pierce resident Latreasa L. Goodman told
authorities she paid for a 10-piece last week but was later informed the
restaurant had run out.
She says she was refused a refund and
told all sales were final. A cashier told police she offered Goodman a
larger portion of different food for the same price, but Goodman became
irate.
Police say Goodman was cited on a misuse of 911 charge. A current phone listing for Goodman couldn't be found.
A McDonald's spokesman says Goodman should have been given a refund, and she's being sent a gift card for a free meal.
Police
say this was a the smoking gun they where not buying Latreasa L.
Goodman's definition of emergency after she called 911 three times to
report that her local McDonald's was out of chicken nuggets. Goodman had
paid for her 10-piece McNuggets but was then informed by the employees
that the restaurant had run out. Goodman claims she was refused a refund
and felt it rose to the level of a 911 emergency. Police have charged
Goodman with misusing 911.
911 McNuggets Call: Latreasa L. Goodman Calls 911 3 Times Over McNuggets "Emergency FORT
PIERCE, Fla. — Authorities say a Florida woman called 911 three times
after McDonald's employees told her they were out of McNuggets. A police
report said 27-year-old Fort Pierce resident Latreasa L. Goodman told
authorities she paid for a 10-piece last week but was later informed the
restaurant had run out.
She says she was refused a refund and
told all sales were final. A cashier told police she offered Goodman a
larger portion of different food for the same price, but Goodman became
irate.
Police say Goodman was cited on a misuse of 911 charge. A current phone listing for Goodman couldn't be found.
A McDonald's spokesman says Goodman should have been given a refund, and she's being sent a gift card for a free meal.
Police
say this was a the smoking gun they where not buying Latreasa L.
Goodman's definition of emergency after she called 911 three times to
report that her local McDonald's was out of chicken nuggets. Goodman had
paid for her 10-piece McNuggets but was then informed by the employees
that the restaurant had run out. Goodman claims she was refused a refund
and felt it rose to the level of a 911 emergency. Police have charged
Goodman with misusing 911.
__________________________________
No Charges for Cops Who ‘Accidentally’ Fired 107 Bullets at an Innocent Mom and Daughter
Indicted HPD Cop Accused of Lying About DWI Arrests
Former officer Kenneth
Troost said he pulled over Amy Charron because she failed to use her
turn signal, was driving drunk, failed a field sobriety test and refused
to consent to a blood test.
Troost also said his dashboard camera didn't record the traffic stop. Now, though, prosecutors and Charron's own defense attorney say all of the above are lies. Troost,
a ten-year veteran of the force, wore blue for the last time Friday. He
resigned from the Houston Police Department after he was indicted
earlier this month on two felony charges of tampering with government
records, in Charron's case and another DWI case, as KTRK first reported.
Turns out an investigation launched by the Harris County District
Attorney's Office found that, actually, there was dash-cam footage — and
Charron didn't “fail to signal a lane change” as Troost claimed. Her
attorney, Diana Sims, believes Troost lied about the footage because he
knew it would prove he had no probable cause to arrest Charron, because
she wasn't drunk and passed the field test. According to toxicology
records from the Houston Forensic Science Center, provided by Sims,
Charron's blood-alcohol level was only .06. Prosecutors dismissed the
charges three months later. “Not only does she feel like a
victim, completely targeted, but it was not even a paperwork error,”
Sims said. “She was not even intoxicated to begin with.” In
the second case, prosecutors claim Troost wrote in an affidavit stating
he was at the scene of a DWI arrest and conducted a field sobriety test
on the side of the road — when, in truth, he was 25 miles away at the
police station. In reality, a different officer arrested Tomur Barnes
and hauled him in, with Troost examining Barnes, then writing up the
offense report as though he had been involved all along. The
attorney for the man suspected of the DWI wasn't available to talk
Friday, but referred us to Sims, who is also familiar with the case.
Sims said what's troubling is that, because of the misrepresentation,
it's unclear if the arresting officer actually conducted any field test
himself — and if he did not, then there would have been no probable
cause to arrest Barnes. As with Charron, the case was ultimately
dismissed. But Troost's attorney, Nicole DeBorde, says that the case against Troost isa
mistake — that Troost simply made a few paperwork errors. She suspects
prosecutors are combing through every DWI offense report that Troost has
ever filed (we checked with the DA's office; they are), and suspects
more “mistakes” will sprout up here and there. “People
make mistakes. That's just human nature,” DeBorde said. “We think what
we have here are examples of clerical errors in these documents.” Sims
questioned how one could make a clerical error by claiming to be on the
side of the road making an arrest when he actually was never there.
"That's not a typo," Sims said. These “errors,” she said,
cost both Charron and Barnes thousands of dollars. Because Troost
reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety that Charron refused a
blood test, the state suspended her license for six months — though
other police records show she did give consent. Even though she was
barred from driving, a judge still ordered Charron to purchase an
interlock device. Plus, she had to submit to random drug and alcohol
testing. "You would think in HPD there would be some
checks and balances that would prevent this type of activity, if you're
having one rogue officer doing it," Sims said. But I believe that he's
been doing it for a long time. He was so good at it that it wasn't until
I understood what he was doing that I could go back to offense reports
and see inconsistencies I would never know to look for." The
DA's Office has put out a notice to the entire defense bar, a spokesman
told us — indicating that, if attorneys' clients have ever been
arrested by Kenneth Troost, they may want to take a closer look at those
cases.____________________ July 22, 2016 12:53 pm by Counter Current News Editorial Team
Los Angeles, CA – Exposing the double standard between police and civilians, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that no criminal charges will be filed against the eight LAPD officers responsible for nearly killing an innocent woman and her daughter. Although the cops ambushed the unarmed women without warning and fired over 100 bullets without provocation, the district attorney justified the case of mistaken identity due to the fact that the officers involved were afraid and incompetent.
At 5 a.m. on February 7, 2013, Margie Carranza and her mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering newspapers throughout a residential neighborhood in Torrance when eight LAPD cops suddenly opened fire. As Carranza suffered cuts from the flying glass, Hernandez was shot twice in the back while trying to protect her daughter. One bullet exited just above Hernandez’s collarbone, while the other bullet struck her lower back, near her spine. A fragment of shattered glass also flew into her eye.
After firing 107 bullets at the innocent women, the LAPD cops ordered them out of the vehicle and immediately realized their mistake. Instead of a 33-year-old black man, two Hispanic women exited the pickup truck and demanded to know, “Why did you shoot at us?”
Instead of rendering first aid or even apologizing for the act of attempted murder, the officers called for paramedics while refusing to offer any explanation for the ambush. Awakened by the gunfire, residents emerged from their homes to find their vehicles, houses, and front doors riddled with bullets. With five bullet holes in the entryway to his house, one neighbor asked, “How do you mistake two Hispanic women, one who is 71, for a large black male?”
Twenty-five minutes after the shooting, Torrance police officers stopped David Perdue a few blocks away as he was driving to the beach to go surfing before work. After the officers questioned him and ordered Perdue to turn around, he complied with their commands and began driving away when another Torrance police cruiser raced towards his vehicle and broadsided him. Suffering from a concussion and back pain, Perdue remained in his vehicle as an officer opened fire on him.
Although Torrance PD and LAPD were searching for a black man driving a gray Nissan Titan, Perdue is a white man who was driving a black Honda Ridgeline. Carranza and Hernandez were driving a blue Toyota Tacoma when the officers ambushed them without bothering to confirm their identities.
The officers responsible for nearly killing Carranza and her mother had been tasked with guarding the house of LAPD Capt. Justin Eisenberg. Because the police captain had been a member of the Board of Rights that voted to terminate former Officer Christopher Dorner, police suspected Dorner might attempt to kill Eisenberg or his family. The police captain was also named in Dorner’s manifesto, which he posted online after the initial murders.
In his manifesto, Dorner accused Sgt. Teresa Evans of kicking a restrained suspect named Christopher Gettler in the chest and face. After filing a complaint against Evans, Dorner was labeled a liar by the department and subsequently fired. Dorner also pointed out in his manifesto that many of the officers involved in the Rodney King beating and Rampart scandal during the 1990s have been promoted to supervisory or command positions within the LAPD and surrounding departments.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that LAPD officers Jess Faber, Marlon Franco, Sergio Gramajo, John Hart, Geoff Lear, Deshon Parker, Jonathan Roman, and Sgt. John Valdez would not face charges for the attempted murders of Carranza and her mother.
Due to the fact that the entire police department was scared of one man and could not be held accountable for their incompetent actions, none of the officers who fired 107 bullets at two unarmed, innocent women will face prosecution. Although the women received a $4.2 million settlement and a new pickup truck, no cop will be held accountable for firing the first shot or failing to correctly identify the make/model of the vehicle along with the race and gender of its occupants.
Although LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announced during the manhunt that officials would re-examine Dorner’s allegations of police misconduct, nearly three years have passed without any results. Instead, Sgt. Teresa Evans filed a lawsuit against the LAPD last year alleging racial discrimination against her. Evans is white.
Andrew Emett is a Los Angeles-based reporter exposing political and corporate corruption. His interests include national security, corporate abuse, and holding government officials accountable. Andrew’s work has appeared on Raw Story, Alternet, Activist Post, and many other sites. You can follow him on Twitter @AndrewEmett and on Facebook at Andrew Emett.
Police stop pursuing nearly 79,000 Fugitives
Accused rapists, murderers are allowed to escape, and the victims aren't told ...
For a time, the intruder charged with pressing a revolver to Armando
Botello's forehead truly was a wanted man. When he disappeared, the
police promised to pursue him anywhere in the United States.
No longer. Last year, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
notified the FBI that it would pursue the accused armed robber only as
far as the state border, even though investigators suspected he had long
since left California.
In effect, the change meant that as long as the gunman left the state, he, like thousands of others, was now free to go.
Nationwide, police and prosecutors quietly told the FBI they had
abandoned their pursuit of nearly 79,000 accused felons during the past
year and a half, a USA TODAY investigation found. They have given up
chasing people charged with armed robbery and raping children, usually
without informing their victims. Police in one county in California
reported they would no longer pursue three of their most-wanted
fugitives and a man charged with a murder for which prosecutors have
sought the death penalty.
The authorities had previously told the FBI – which maintains a vast
index of the nation's fugitives – that they would arrest each of those
suspects if police anywhere else in the United States happened to find
them, a process known as extradition. But in each case, police and
prosecutors have since indicated they will no longer fetch the fugitives
if they flee.
The story: du Pont is a nutty, patriotic, conservative, pro-police,
pro-military, pro-gun billionaire, who longs to be famous and feel like
he’s doing something to help America. He’s also a wannabe athlete and
Olympic coach, whose mother focused him on piano and horses instead of
sports (she saw wrestling as a “low sport”). So, du Pont recruits
weirdo Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler Mark Schultz to come to his
“Foxcatcher” estate to live and train. He also recruits Mark Schultz’s
older brother Dave, a former Olympian and now a coach, to come to
Foxcatcher to coach the wrestlers who live and train there. But du Pont is obsessive and creepy. He wants credit for coaching
Mark Schultz to the Olympics. And he wants to be seen as the father
figure in Schultz’s life. That happens
for a while, but soon Mark Schultz and du Pont have a falling out.
Mark Schultz leaves, leaving his brother Dave and Dave’s family to stay
and coach at Foxcatcher. Eventually, du Pont gets upset with Dave
Schultz for no legitimate reason and shoots and kills him in front of
Dave’s wife. The end. Wonderful movie, right? You should also note that Friend of Al-Qaeda/Arafat, a barely recognizable Vanessa Redgrave, is a co-star in this movie, playing du Pont’s mother. Carell and Tatum are covered in bad cosmetics and obvious prosthetics
that are simply laughable. Their “acting” consists of monotone,
stilted talking (which–newflash!–ain’t acting), as well as Tatum’s weird
way of walking and constantly sticking out his jaw. Bottom line–one not indicated by this movie: John du Pont’s behavior
and nuttiness had nothing to do with patriotism. It had nothing to do
with conservatism. It had nothing to do with gun ownership and support
for America’s military and police.
So each can now escape the charges simply by crossing state lines. And FBI records suggest many do.
"That shocks me. I can't imagine why anybody would take a major felony
and say we'll only arrest him within the state," said Joshua Marquis,
the county prosecutor in Astoria, Ore., and a former vice president of
the National District Attorneys Association. "I cannot imagine a case of
sexual abuse or rape or murder where I would not go to the ends of the
earth to get that person back."
Joshua Tillery is charged with an armed home-invasion robbery in Yucaipa, Calif.
(Photo: Washington State Department of Corrections)
In March, a USA TODAY investigation identified thousands of fugitives
who police said they would not pursue if they fled the state, usually
because they did not want to spend the time or money needed to get them
back. The decisions, typically made in secret, allowed old crimes to go
unpunished and offered fugitives a virtual license to commit new ones,
often as close as in the state next door.
Those cases are multiplying. In just the past year and a half, the total
number of fugitives who police won't pursue beyond a state border
swelled nearly 77%, to 330,665. The main reason was police agencies
changing their minds about what to do with people who have been wanted
for years.
St Louis police rebuked for Facebook warning after Tamir Rice shooting
Public dismayed after St Louis County police weigh in social media
about shooting of Rice, a 12-year-boy in Ohio who was playing with a
replica gun
Family members at Tamir Rice's funeral in Cleveland. Photograph: The Plain Dealer/Landov/Barcroft
The police department that oversaw protests in Ferguson over the death of Michael Brown attracted new criticism on Thursday after weighing in clumsily on the fatal police shooting of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy in Ohio who was playing with a replica gun. In a Facebook post headed “Kids will be Kids?”, St Louis County
police told parents to warn their children that if they prompted an
emergency call by playing with toy guns in public, “police will respond
as though it is a real gun”. The post was linked to from the department’s Twitter account. “Pellet guns and Airsoft guns should not be allowed to be played with
throughout the neighbourhood, common grounds, or used to threaten or
intimidate people,” said the post, which was written by officer Aaron
Dilks from the City of Fenton precinct. The post met with widespread dismay on social media. “Insanity,” wrote Shaun King, an activist and writer. “Stranger than fiction that they’d do this.” Tamir, who was pointing his BB gun while wandering alone around a
park in Cleveland, was immediately shot dead by an officer responding to
a 911 call. The caller told the dispatcher: “I don’t know if it’s real
or not.” This was not conveyed to the officer. Tamir’s $20 pistol lacked
an orange tip that typically distinguishes toy or pellet guns from
full-powered versions.
St Louis County police tweetPhotograph: Screen captureThe 911 caller also suggested that Tamir was repeatedly pulling the
BB gun out of the waistband on his pants. The St Louis County Facebook
post said on Monday: “Remember, if an Airsoft gun is tucked in your
pants like a holster then obviously the orange tip is no longer
visible.” The St Louis County message also offered parents “tips to help your
child respond appropriately” if they were confronted by police while
holding a toy or pellet gun, such as “do not run away” and throwing the
toy gun away from their hands. “They may be ordered to lie down on the
ground,” it said. The Facebook post, and a tweet that it automatically triggered on the
official St Louis County police Twitter account, were both removed
later on Monday morning. Asked during a brief phone conversation whether
he wrote the post, Dilks told the Guardian: “Yeah, it was me.” Dilks prefaced his post by stating that he was not making a judgment
on whether the shooting was justified. “This is about the Fenton
Precinct making residents aware of a ‘hot’ topic and learning from this
incident so Fenton never loses a child’s life,” he wrote.
St Louis County police Facebook postPhotograph: Screen captureAfter confirming that he wrote the post, Dilks referred all other
inquiries to a county force spokesman. When asked whether he regretted
the post, Dilks hung up the phone. The county force was expected to
issue a statement later on Monday. The St Louis County police is under a joint review of practices with
the US department of justice following the controversial policing of
protests following Brown’s death in August. The force’s military-style
response was heavily criticised. The department became more active on social media earlier this month
as protests mounted in advance of a grand jury deciding not to indict
Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot Brown dead in August
this year. Recaps of protests were posted to Facebook and some were
even live-tweeted. Asked by the Guardian earlier in November why the department was
tweeting more often, a spokesman said: “Social media is a new way for
our department to attempt to get information out as quickly as possible.
That is why we are doing it. It is done by a member of the public
information staff.” ______________________________
Surprised? Police Union Rejecting New Technology that Tracks Cops’ Driving
Ford
has announced that certain models of their police interceptor vehicles
will now be equipped with new tracking technology that can monitor the
driving behavior of on-duty officers. However, this model may not be
popular with many departments. Police union representatives have already spoken out against this new feature, calling it intrusive. The technology was developed by Ford and a company called Telogis.
The system uses existing GPS technology to track the drivers speed, fuel
usage, and even whether or not they are wearing their seat belt. The records taken by this system would be especially useful when
officers are involved in accidents that may have been their fault. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund,
more law enforcement officers die in car accidents than from firearms
incidents every year. Representatives at Ford and Telogis have said that
many of these fatalities occurred because the officers were not wearing
their seat belts. “The leading cause of death of police officers is crashes, and
with little more than four of 10 police officers believed to be wearing
seat belts on a regular basis while patrolling. We’re losing too many
cops where it is preventable,” Gary Oldham, a Telogis manager said in a statement. “Even the slightest improvements in driver training and behavior
within law enforcement organizations can potentially save lives. Whether
in emergency operation or not, the combination of vehicle data from
this technology taken in context with different driving situations will
help illustrate to police organizations where changes can be made that
will have a profound effect on officer safety,” said Ford representative Bill Frykman.
However its not only the police who are hurt when they drive
recklessly. A recent report out of Denver shows something much more
disturbing. Just in the last 3 years, Denver area police have been
involved and found to be “at fault” in over 700 crashes, many of which
resulted in injury. In the majority of these crashes in which the cops have been at fault, almost every time, they were NOT given a ticket. In one instance the department even had the audacity to send a ticket to a woman that a cop hit on a bicycle. Despite much hesitation, the system is currently being tested in 50 different cars at the Los Angeles Police Department. John Vibes is
an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special
interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his
writing and activist work he is also the owner of a successful music
promotion company. In 2013, he became one of the organizers of the Free Your Mind Conference,
which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over
the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com. Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/police-reject-ford-cars-track-driving-habits-safety/#1UZcU76AiGiwxl1f.99
Ferguson’s $155-an-hour PR man fired after it’s publicized that he’s a convicted killer
The man brought in to improve public relations for the city of Ferguson, Mo., has been fired after it was publicized that he is a convicted killer. Devin James was hired at $155-an-hour to handle
media requests and help restore public trust after the shooting death of
18-year-old Michael Brown, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The newspaper said city officials knew of
James’ conviction, but the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership,
which pays his salary, was unaware of his background — he was convicted
of reckless homicide in Shelby County, Tenn., in 2006, according to the
Post-Dispatch.
The Partnership learned of the conviction from a Post-Dispatch reporter, and released a statement Friday that read, in part:
“We have asked Elasticity, our contracted communications
firm, to release Devin James from his subcontractor role, due to a lack
of transparency. While we admire his personal growth from difficult
circumstances and commend him for his high quality work in Ferguson, it
was the lack of information about his background that prompted us to
make this move. Mr. James failed to inform us of his prior conviction. He also did
not reveal this information to Elasticity when he was hired as a
subcontractor.
James was subcontracted two weeks after Brown was killed, after the city was criticized for not hiring a minority owned firm.
He was behind a video apology from Ferguson Police Chief Thomas
Jackson to the Brown family released on Thursday — the apology nearly
led to violence as police and protesters clashed briefly that evening,
according to the Associated Press.
Police: 3 people dead in shooting at UPS facility
AP Photo: Joe Songer, Al.com
Police officers escort UPS
employees on a bus from the scene where three people were killed,
including the gunman, at a UPS facility in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday,
Sept. 23, 2014.
By
Jay Reeves
of Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
(AP) — A UPS employee opened fire Tuesday morning inside one of the
company's warehouses in Alabama, killing two people before committing
suicide, police said.
Birmingham
Police Chief A.C. Roper told reporters that the gunman was wearing his
uniform when he started shooting either in or near some offices inside
the warehouse in an industrial area just north of the Birmingham
airport. The sand-colored building sits on a hill and has UPS logos on
the front and side. It has a parking lot surrounded by barbed wire. The gunman had apparently shot himself by the time officers got inside the warehouse, Roper said. Police Lt. Sean Edwards told The Associated Press
on Tuesday morning that the gunman was a UPS employee, though he said
later in the day that police had not yet met with company officials to
confirm the gunman's current employment status. People who called 911
from their cellphones told dispatchers that the shooter was an employee,
Edwards said. No one else was hurt, Roper said. "When these people came here to work, they had no idea this would be their last day on earth," Roper said. Atlanta-based UPS said in a brief statement that the shooting happened around 9:40 a.m. CDT. The company added that it is fully cooperating with the investigation. Employees
who were at the warehouse when the shooting happened were being taken
to another location so that they could be interviewed by investigators
and provided with counseling, Roper said. Late Tuesday morning, a
long line of police cars with their lights flashing left the area as
part of a motorcade with a white school bus. Also, a wrecker with a
police escort left the scene towing a dark red Honda SUV.
Chick-Fil-A Is Closing. And When You Find Out Why You'll Be Glad. It Sounds Crazy But You WILL!
Everyone loves Chick-Fil-A, and it’s not always just because of the chicken. (Even though that’s reason enough to love them.)
A
Georgia town was grieving the loss of one of their own, a heroic Police
Officer, Officer Kevin Jordan. He was shot in his back five times while
making an arrest at a local Waffle House. Officer Jordan was Army
veteran, and a loving father to seven children.
Officers
from every corner of the state Georgia joined with local residents to
honor their fallen solider. The funeral precession was going to pass the
local Chic-Fil-A, so this is what they did—they placed a notice at
their drive through to notify customers that they will be closing in
honor of the faithful serviceman Officer Jordan.
This
is a measure that the local chicken restaurant didn’t have to take –
but they did. What a great way to honor those that serve and protect.
Everyone loves Chick-Fil-A, and it’s not always just because of the chicken. (Even though that’s reason enough to love them.)
A Georgia town was grieving the loss of one of their own, a
heroic Police Officer, Kevin Jordan. He was shot in his back five times
while making an arrest at a local Waffle House. Officer Jordan was Army
veteran, and a loving father to seven children.
Officers from every corner of the state Georgia joined with local
residents to honor their fallen solider. The funeral precession was
going to pass the local Chic-Fil-A, so this is what they did—they placed
a notice at their drive through to notify customers that they will be
closing in honor of the faithful serviceman Officer Jordan.
This is a measure that the local chicken restaurant didn’t have
to take – but they did. What a great way to honor those that serve and
protect.
Ohio police department rips criminals in Facebook posts
Published June 17, 2013
Associated Press
This Tuesday, April 2, 2013 photo shows Brimfield Police
Chief David Oliver, in Kent, Ohio. Oliver uses the reach of his
departments increasingly followed Facebook page to interact with
residents and take to task criminals and other neer-do-wells, his
preferred term is mopes, for the stupid, the silly and the outright
unlawful in messages that mix humor and blunt opinion. (AP)
KTLA 5 News reports:
A
mugshot of a repeat offender posted on Facebook by police garnered more
than 13,000 likes and 3,000 comments in less than 24 hours.
Jeremy Meeks was arrested Wednesday in Stockton and charged with six felony counts of street terrorism and weapons charges.
But his record doesn't seem to bother his admirers. One woman even set up a Facebook fan page for Meeks.
KENT, Ohio – If you're up to no
good in this pocket of northeast Ohio, especially in a witless way,
you're risking not only jail time or a fine but a swifter repercussion
with a much larger audience: You're in for a social media scolding from
police Chief David Oliver and some of his small department's 51,000
Facebook fans.
And Oliver does not mince words.
In postings interspersed with community messages and rants, the
Brimfield Township chief takes to task criminals and other
ne'er-do-wells — his preferred term is "mopes," appropriated from police
TV shows and an old colleague who used it — for the stupid, the lazy
and the outright unlawful. Even an ill-considered parking choice can
spur a Facebook flogging. "If you use a handicapped space and you jump out of the vehicle, all
healthy-like, as if someone is dangling free cheeseburgers on a stick,
expect people to stare at you and get angry," Oliver wrote last year.
"You are milking the system and it aggravates those of us who play by
the rules. Ignoring us does not make you invisible. We see you, loser." His humor, sarcasm and blunt opinion fueled a tenfold increase in the
Facebook page's likes in the past year, bringing the total to more than
four times the 10,300 residents the department serves. It's among the
most-liked local law enforcement pages in the country, trailing only New
York, Boston and Philadelphia police, according to the International
Association of Chiefs of Police Center for Social Media. Not bad for a guy who initially hoped maybe 500 locals would pay
attention when he noticed other businesses' pages and decided to start
his own three years ago. ___ Facebook posting, May 16, 2013: "I call criminals mopes. I do not
comment on them being ugly, smelly or otherwise beauty impaired ... even
though some are. I do not comment on their education, social status,
color, sex, origin or who they marry. I care about crime and character.
If you come to Brimfield and commit a crime we are all going to talk
about it. The easiest way to not be called a criminal is to not be one.
It is not calculus." ___ The chief loves justice, Westerns and dogs. John Wayne and Abraham
Lincoln peer out from frames on the gray walls of Oliver's office, where
the 45-year-old chats with anyone who stops by. His Facebook messages extend that open-door policy online for
conversations about road closures, charity events, lost pets and
whatever else crosses his mind. Some are serious, such as salutes to
slain officers and updates during school threat investigations. Others
are light-hearted, like the attempt to find an escaped swine's owner
with an unusual APB — an "All-Pig Bulletin" — or his promise to "ticket"
child bicyclists with coupons for free ice cream if they wear helmets. And, of course, there's crime. One posting berates a man accused of
physically assaulting a woman and two children. In another, Oliver
suggests that hiding near an occupied police K-9 vehicle wasn't a
shoplifting suspect's smartest move. Resident Mark Mosley, a daily reader, said he likes such "humorous arrest stories" best. "It's one of those things, like you can't fix stupid," Mosley said. His officers and others say the online character of the chief, a big, beefy guy, matches real life. "He is definitely a very large personality. It kind of goes with his size," local fire Chief Robert Keller said. Oliver's 15-person department handles more than 13,000 calls for
service annually and deals largely with arrests for driving violations,
thefts and drug crimes by out-of-towners. Arrests in those crime
categories dropped last year but are trending upward again, and Oliver
says it would take more time to determine whether the Facebook messages
are having an impact. Occasionally, his rants cover topics far outside his jurisdiction,
among them the Boston Marathon bombings and the high-profile rape case
from Steubenville in eastern Ohio. He rarely mentions names but doesn't
shy from addressing specific suspects or brands of criminals. ___ July 31, 2012: "Dear Father or Mother Meth Cooks, "You have lost your mind. What in hell are you thinking when you make
the decision to cook meth with your child in the house? You have
violated the very basic principle of being a parent, which is the safety
of your child. I am fed up with watching it and also with being
concerned with the long-term effects of what you have exposed YOUR child
to." ___ The word is out even among mopes, a few of whom have told Oliver they
read his updates. During a March traffic stop with several drug-related
arrests, one suspect overheard Oliver being called "Chief" and, after
connecting the dots, requested not to be mentioned on the page, police
said. Oliver didn't oblige. His postings, also republished to the department's Twitter account,
spur dozens or hundreds of comments from as far away as Australia or
Germany. Some praise the department. Others say Oliver uses work time
inappropriately for Facebook or criticize him for discussing suspects in
a public forum. (His response: It's public record.) Oliver welcomes the discussion and deletes comments only if they use profanity or refer to police in highly offensive language. "He totally connects with our community, except the people that he
arrests," said Mike Kostensky, one of the trustees who picked Oliver as
chief in 2004. Departments like Brimfield that engage readers and reply tend to see
more activity on their police pages compared with those that don't, said
Nancy Kolb, who runs the IACP Center for Social Media. The center
tracks the popularity of law enforcement on Facebook and Twitter. Oliver says his updates provide accountability and transparency about police work. He's also a believer that people can change. He says that he had a "very thin" line between good and bad when he
was younger and that he might have become a mope if not for grandparents
who let him watch only "The Waltons," ''Gunsmoke" and "The Andy
Griffith Show" on TV. He said the latter was the biggest influence on his career because he
admires the respectful, plain-spoken sheriff played by Griffith. "I just always thought, you know, that's a good way to handle things," Oliver says. ___ Jan. 28, 2013: "It is the opinion of this chief, located in a small
corner of a great big world, that we need to, as a society, become a
little more intolerant of people who commit crimes for a living. When we
start yelling about it being unacceptable ... people will take notice
and the practice will shift; either by putting people in jail, funding
drug treatment or behavioral changes by the criminals." ___ Oliver, a father of four who starts many days hugging and high-fiving
elementary school students, turned his popularity into a sort of local
brand, pitching mugs and T-shirts with "no mopes" logos and his other
catchphrases — such as "anywhere but here" or, in reference to a jail
breakfast, "enjoy the oatmeal" — to raise money for school security
improvements. Purchases and donations have brought in more than $14,000,
enough to install panic buttons connecting the five local schools to
police. Cameras and intercoms are next. "How could you not love that guy?" said Tammy Ralston, the graphic
designer at Young's Screenprinting and Embroidery in Cuyahoga Falls,
which came up with the "mopes" gear and receives orders from across the
country. Oliver's supporters include retiree Dennis Kerr of Sherwood, Ark.,
who bought a T-shirt for his wife while visiting family in nearby Stow. "The guy really has a load of common sense, and I appreciated him, so we started following him," Kerr said. Kerr hopes to meet Oliver and said he considered planning his next
Ohio visit to coincide with Brimfield's parade. Oliver is turning the
September event into a walk honoring military veterans and has invited
all his Facebook fans. Everyone, that is, except the mopes.
St. Louis Chief of Police Sam Dotson Says You Only BELIEVE You Have a 2nd Amendment Right!
Published February 26, 2014 Uncategorized2 Comments
“I understand the Second Amendment, and I understand
everyone’s right, or their belief that they have a right to bear arms,”
he says. “It doesn’t give them a right to use that weapon.”
Apparently , according to this would-be tyrant, we only BELIEVE
we have a right to keep and bear arms and we do NOT have a right to use
them! Obviously, Chief of Police Sam-the-Nazi Dotson DOESN’T understand
the Second Amendment at all! This is a VERY DANGEROUS man for St.
Louisans! A local television news program reported last night that
Sam-the-Nazi-Dotson said, when referring to this year’s Soulard Mardi
Gras celebrations, “Concealed carry permit holders should leave them at
home!” This is a clear case of a tyrant arbitrarily passing an ordinance
by decree. There is no law! In fact, the highest law of the land–the
Constitution–confirms that you DO have the right. But according to this
scum you have to do what the police say because the police say it. THIS IS WHAT A POLICE STATE LOOKS LIKE! Hate mail
badly needed for St. Louis Police Chief Sam-the-Nazi-Dotson, who said
that you only BELIEVE you have a right to keep and bear arms. He has a
blog and a Twitter account which are linked on the official website of
the St. Louis Police Dept: http://www.slmpd.org/ Please share so as many people as possible can tell this pig what we
think about him. Don’t mince words–tell it exactly as it is. This man is
truly an enemy of the very Constitution that he took an oath to protect
and defend. We have to stand up to these people and call them out for
what they are: oath breakers and traitors who should be
tried for treason and sentenced when found guilty. Those who act like
sheep will be ruled by wolves. How do you like being ruled by a police
state! SOURCE: Riverfront Times - New St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson: “More Guns Is Never The Answer” Follow SayNoToTyranny on Twitter.com
Former cheerleader, 20, died of asthma attack 'after her friends did
nothing to help, then dumped her lifeless body outside a vacant
trailer'
Taylor Smith, 20, was found dead outside vacant mobile home along Robin Lane in Jasper, Georgia
Former cheerleader was hanging out with four friends when she suffered asthma attack
Deputies say Smith's companions tried to revive her with a cold shower, but did not call 911 or try to take her to a hospital
Marty Gaddis, 38, charged with concealing Smith's death, abandoning her body and tampering with evidence
By
Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED:
08:27 EST, 3 September 2013
|UPDATED:
16:31 EST, 3 September 2013
A 20-year-old Georgia woman has died
from an apparent asthma attack, and according to sheriff’s deputies, her
friends did nothing to help beyond dumping her body on the side of a
road. Taylor Smith was found dead in Jasper near a vacant mobile home just down the road from the county jail. One man has since been jailed in connection to the case, and three others are facing possible charges. Scroll down for video
Tragic: The body of Taylor Smith (right), 20, pictured here with her mother, was dumped
by her friends on the side of a road after she had died from an
apparent asthma attack
According to investigators,
Smith was spending time with some friends over the weekend when she
suffered an asthma attack, the station WSB-TV reported. Instead
of seeking medical help for the 20-year-old, Pickens County sheriff’s
officials say the people she was with attempted to revive her with a
cold shower and the next morning dumped her lifeless body off Robin
Lane. Someone, however, had dialled 911, which allowed the Georgia Bureau of investigations to track down the suspects. Marty
Gaddis, 38, has been arrested and charged with concealing a death,
abandonment of a body and tampering with evidence. He also faces drug
and reckless conduct counts.
Lonely death: Police say after Smith's
companions tried to revive her with a cold shower, they left her body
outside this vacant trailer along Robin Lane in Jasper, Georgia
Suspect: Marty Gaddis, 38, has been arrested in
the case on a slew of counts, among them concealing a death, abandonment
of a body and tampering with evidence
'As a mother, I'm angry. I'm so angry that they treated her the way they did,' said Tanya Smith, Taylor's mother. Mrs Smith, who serves as a lieutenant
with the Holly Springs Police Department, told the station that her
daughter, a former cheerleader at Creekside High School, had wanted to
experience ‘everything’ before settling into a 'normal life.'
Taylor
had suffered from asthma her entire life, and her grieving mother said
that had her friends truly cared about her, they could have saved her by
taking her to a hospital or calling 911. 'She
didn't deserve just to be dumped on the side of the road, just because
they didn't know what else to do,' Tanya Smith said.
Furious and heartbroken: Taylor's mother, police
officer Tanya Smith, wants her daughter's so-called friends to pay for
failing to seek medical attention for the 20-year-old
Devastated: Tanya Smith never got the chance to
say goodbye to her daughter (pictured), who she said did not deserve to
be dumped outside
She added, ‘it a precious thing to get to say goodbye and I hate that that was taken from me.’ Now, Tanya Smith wants her late daughter's so-called friends to pay for their callous behavior. Authorities
expect to make additional arrests in connection to Smith's death.
Online records indicate that Marty Gaddis has a criminal record, which
includes a 1998 arrest on a charge of misdemeanour riot.
Police investigate after CNN anchor reports that she was robbed of her phone on Atlanta street
LifeLock for Life Sweepstakes Game Play to Win
Starpix, Amanda Schwab, file/Associated Press -
FILE - This Sept. 27, 2011 file photo originally released by
Starpix shows CNN anchor Carol Costello, at a party launching her
colleague, Erin Burnett’s show “Erin Burnett Outfront,” in New York.
Atlanta police are investigating after a CNN anchor reported that her
iPhone was snatched from her hand as she strolled down a street on
Thursday, May 2, 2013. Police tell WSB-TV that Carol Costello was
talking on the phone while walking when two teenagers ran up from behind
and grabbed the phone. Costello said in a post on her Facebook page
that she struggled with one suspect as she tried to keep her phone, but
he pulled out a chunk of her hair and she let go.
By Associated Press,
Updated: Monday, May 6, 7:44 AM
ATLANTA — Atlanta police are
investigating after a CNN anchor reported that her iPhone was snatched
from her hand as she strolled down a street in the city’s midtown
section. Police tell WSB-TV (http://bit.ly/13dhr16) that Carol Costello
was talking on the phone while walking around 4:30 p.m. Thursday when
two teenagers ran up from behind and grabbed the phone.
Costello said in a post on her Facebook page that she struggled
with one suspect as she tried to keep her phone, but he pulled out a
chunk of her hair and she let go. “As he ran down the street, laughing, I hurled a few expletives his way,” Costello wrote on her Facebook page.
“I felt no fear at the time, I was just angry,” she said. “Now I’m
angry, shaken and sad. What a lousy life those kids have ahead of them.” No arrests have been made.
Michigan woman used Facebook to harass herself, police say
Published May 05, 2013
Associated Press
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A western Michigan woman is accused of creating a Facebook account to stalk herself. Cheryl Nelson, a 52-year-old from the Grand Rapids area, complained
to sheriff's deputies that she was the victim of stalking, harassment
and other crimes. But authorities learned that she set up a Facebook
account with her ex-boyfriend's information and made it appear that his
new girlfriend was using it to harass her. Detective Jason Russo of the sheriff's department says Nelson couldn't let go of her relationship with her former boyfriend. MLive.com
reports that Nelson is charged with falsely reporting a felony. She
could not be reached for comment Saturday. There is no listing for a
home number.
Ford
has announced that certain models of their police interceptor vehicles
will now be equipped with new tracking technology that can monitor the
driving behavior of on-duty officers. However, this model may not be
popular with many departments.
![UPS shooting: Police officers escort UPS employees on a bus from the scene where three people were killed, including the gunman, at a UPS facility in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014.]({"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/4e/e3726c65c5a47775dcc56b4865a616/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"})
AP Photo: Joe Songer, Al.com
![AP]({"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/df/78612cb8c1874cac1d6e56a70dd11/_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"}){kind=small}
By
Jay Reeves
of Associated Press
reports that Nelson is charged with falsely reporting a felony. She
could not be reached for comment Saturday. There is no listing for a
home number.
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